Police and paramedics were called to the M1 between Junction 15 and Junction 14, near Milton Keynes, just after 3am on Saturday morning following an accident involving two HGVs and a minibus.

Eight people on board the minibus, six men and two women, died in the accident on the southbound carriageway.

Three other people, a man, a woman and a five-year-old girl, all remain in hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A fourth survivor, a woman, was also taken to hospital with serious injuries - but these are not believed to be life-threatening.

The minibus was travelling from the Nottingham area – and a number of the occupants are believed to have been visiting the country from India.

The Stoke-on-Trent driver, who police said was 53-years-old, is being held on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving while the second driver, a 31-year-old from Worcestershire, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving a motor vehicle when above the alcohol limit.

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Chief Inspector Henry Parsons, from the Joint Operations Unit for Roads Policing at Thames Valley Police, said: “The scene facing the officers who attended was complex and the recovery operation which followed was challenging.

“Tragically eight people lost their lives, with four further people seriously injured, and it is our duty to establish the circumstances of what happened.

Eight people were killed and four injured following the crash on the M1 (Image: PA/Twitter)

“Officers are working to inform the next of kin of the people who died and specially-trained family liaison officers will be offering them their support.

“Some of those involved were visiting the UK from India and we are working to keep families abroad informed.

“This collision was deeply distressing for the members of the public who witnessed it, along with the emergency service workers who attended and displayed high levels of professionalism.